Home Office

Slavery

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent steps the Government has taken to raise public awareness of modern slavery and human trafficking.

Victoria Atkins: The Government continues to use communications as an essential means of raising public awareness of modern slavery.Building on the success of the 2014 ‘Slavery Happens Here’ campaign, the Home Office has carried out tailored communications activity to raise awareness of modern slavery in high-risk communities in the UK and overseas, most recently in Nigeria.In September 2017, Crimestoppers and the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority launched a joint campaign to encourage the public to spot the signs of modern slavery and to report any suspicions to Crimestoppers.The Home Office also posts regularly about how to identify and report modern slavery on our Twitter, Facebook and Instagram social media channels.In October 2017, the Government published awareness raising and victim identification guidance for public sector staff as well as signposting public sector organisations to training resources on modern slavery. In August 2017, the National Crime Agency held a media briefing to raise awareness of modern slavery and the response. As a result, the Modern Slavery Helpline received an unprecedented number of calls that month.In January 2018 the National Crime Agency launched the Invisible People exhibition which uses striking images by an award-winning photographer to portray the signs of slavery and inform the public how to report it.The display of modern slavery material in public areas is also a Government priority. Border Force, in collaboration with the Modern Slavery Helpline, has led a digital and print modern slavery campaign across UK ports and airports nationwide. The campaign provides advice and guidance about modern slavery for passengers and encourages greater disclosure to officers by vulnerable potential victims or passengers who may have seen something suspicious.

HM Treasury

Sanctions: Democratic Republic of Congo

Helen Goodman: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many (a) individuals, (b) corporations and (c) other entities had assets frozen (i) in the UK, (ii) in the British Overseas Territories and (c) by UK-based institutions as a result of the sanctions applied to the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2017, and what estimate he has made of the value of those assets.

John Glen: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 12 February 2018.The correct answer should have been:

The approximate aggregate value of funds frozen in the UK (under EU Regulation 1183/2005 Democratic Republic of Congo) was £ 580,000,000 at the close of business on 30 September 2016. The figures for the 2017 round of UK frozen funds reporting are in the process of being finalised and as such are not currently available. The frozen funds continue to belong to the individuals and entities listed under the Regulation and are not seized or otherwise held by HM Government. The figure is provided on an aggregate basis so as not to indirectly disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals or entities. British Overseas Territories adopt all Sanctions listings that the UK do, to be in line with international standards. The specific information on the number of people or entities who have assets frozen in the overseas territories lies with the individual territories themselves.

John Glen: The approximate aggregate value of funds frozen in the UK (under EU Regulation 1183/2005 Democratic Republic of Congo) was £ 580,000,000 at the close of business on 30 September 2016. The figures for the 2017 round of UK frozen funds reporting are in the process of being finalised and as such are not currently available. The frozen funds continue to belong to the individuals and entities listed under the Regulation and are not seized or otherwise held by HM Government. The figure is provided on an aggregate basis so as not to indirectly disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals or entities. British Overseas Territories adopt all Sanctions listings that the UK do, to be in line with international standards. The specific information on the number of people or entities who have assets frozen in the overseas territories lies with the individual territories themselves.

Women and Equalities

Pupils: Bullying

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what recent steps her Department has taken to tackle the bullying of LGBTQ children in schools.

Victoria Atkins: The Government has sent a clear message to schools that bullying, for whatever reason, is unacceptable. It can have a devastating effect on individuals, blight their education and have serious consequences for their mental health.All schools are legally required to have a behaviour policy with measures to prevent all forms of bullying among pupils. They have the freedom to develop their own anti-bullying strategies appropriate to their environment but are held to account via OfstedIn September 2016, we announced a £3 million programme from 2016-2019 to prevent and address homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying in a sustainable way. This programme focuses on primary and secondary schools in England that currently have no or few effective measures in place. Six grantees have been funded as part of the programme to deliver interventions in at least 200 schools each. The grantees are Barnardo’s, LGBT Consortium, Metro Charity, National Children’s Bureau, Proud Trust and Stonewall.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Capita

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many contracts his Department holds with Capita; and what the value of those contracts is.

George Eustice: Defra has a zero value contract with Capita to supply contingent labour which was a call off from a Crown Commercial Services Framework. The responsibility for the management of the supplier in these call off arrangement lies with CCS not Defra. The following table details the amount Defra has spent on the contract with Capita for contingent labour. Contract2013/142014/152015/162016/172017/18 April-December TotalContingent Labour£70,660£2,323,884£3,211,830£2,715,195£3,019,382£11,340,951 Defra has a contract with Capita to deliver a system for the Electronic Movement Reporting System for Sheep, Goats and Deers which has a total value of £4,620,370. Defra is party to a number of contracts with Fera Science Ltd (Fera), a Joint Venture between Defra and Capita. The key contracts on the Fera Science Ltd framework at inception were:ContractTotal value to 31/03/2020Plant and Bee Health Services£28,100,000Specialist Services and Facilities (Wildlife Facility and Food Safety Laboratories)£16,600,000Total£44,700,000 Variable services are also commissioned annually from Fera under the framework agreement. From the start of the contract (01/04/2015) to date spend for the following additional services is as follows: Contract TitleValueApplied Research and Development Services£5,900,000Additional Plant and Bee Health Services£850,000Total£6,750,000 Standalone contracts with Fera outside the framework: Contract TitleValueAuthent-Net£32,000VitiSmart£139,000Total£171,000